Traveling gives students a perspective on life that they would not get if they chose to stay at their home university.

Student-traveler, Amelia Sweedyk, lived and studied in Querétaro, Mexico with a host family for one semester in 2008. While she was there that she said she gained a much greater respect for other people's culture as well as an excitement for travel.  During her time in Mexico Sweedyk also traveled to many other cities in Mexico.  It was on these trips she says that she really learned the language and obtained a greater understanding of the culture of Mexico.  

A study done by International Education for Students (IES) of 3,400 students reported that about 96 percent of students who studied abroad for a semester reported increased self-confidence.  Also, 97 percent of respondents reported that studying abroad served as a catalyst for increased maturity. Ninety-three percent said that their experiences abroad continue to influence their interactions with people from different cultures. 

Sweedyk agrees with these results of this survey, saying that she too experienced these benefits after her time abroad.

"I really feel like it changed me as a person," Sweedyk said, "in a good way of course."

Not only is traveling important for students but according to research done at Tel Aviv University says that burnout decreases significantly during two-week vacations for full-time employees.  Research also shows that travelers experience a 25 percent increase in performance on vigilance tests after returning from vacations. 

Also, there is an increasing amount of information proving that vacations are not only a luxury but also are actually necessary for good health.  A study done in 2000 by Framingham Heart Study looked at 12,000 men over nine years who were all at risk for coronary heart disease.  Of those 12,000 men those who failed to take annual vacations were 32 percent more likely to die of a heart attack.

Take Back Your Time, a non-profit organization, is working on introducing legislation to Congress called Minimum Leave Protection, Family Bonding and Personal Well-Being Act that will mandate three weeks of vacation per year. 

Once people have retired they finally have the time to travel.  One study done by Donald Roberson, The Impact of Travel on Older Adults: An Exploratory Investigation, reported on the travel experiences of eight individuals ranging from 56 to 89 years old. 

Throughout the interviews Roberson concluded that older adults gain valuable life experiences throughout their time traveling.  Participants stated that traveling gave them a new perspective on all that they know, and also a changed sense to self. 

One woman who was 81 years old at the time said that one thing she has learned from her extensive traveling is to trust people.Another man who was 56 years old at the time of the interview said that, "The impact of being in a completely different culture helped him see how different the world is from the south."

Delores Nolan, a Mt. Pleasant, Mich. resident traveled to Australia when she was 75. She said that although it was a very long journey it was one of the most memorable experiences of her life.

"I will never forget the things I saw while I was there," Nolan said, "I am so lucky to have gone, even at this old age."

Older travelers have the time and life experience to search for more meaning in traveling than just a leisurely vacation away from home.  Overall traveling for older adults can impact their perspective on the world and possibly transform their lives.

Photo by Amelia Swedyk

By Maureen Stephan